Porch Rails & Side Trips!

I could have titled this post Sew Many Mules -but folks might not get the whole story or decide to pass it by - but there is a special story to these Wonky Donkey blocks that is worth telling!

They were made by Denise's Husbands mother and grandmother in the "way back when" and include some hand piecing, some machine piecing and a whole lot of "what happened with these?!"

We've all got something in our life that just never was completed because maybe they didn't fit together, but these are so precious!

They may not lie flat quiet yet, but we are working on a plan where they will be worked into something as blocks like this are better saved quilted up in someway, than just left as random blocks.

There are feeds sacks, solids and a random array of dress/apron prints from days gone by in them all.

So where did this pattern come from and when?

Found in the Spencer Museum -

1930s, made by Carrie A. Hall.

And why?

In 1931 Herbert Hoover was the incumbent, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, began actively building their campaigns and announcing their candidacies in early 1932.

1930's donkey quilt.

Kansas City Star pattern.

Ararat the Elephant from a later issue.

And Denise doesn't know if the blocks were made for political reasons (quilting has always been political!) but she thinks that it was because the family raised mules.

And we will never know!  MULES is the only fact worth sticking to, so I look forward to whatever it is she does with the mule blocks, cute and wonky as they are.

And there were more gorgeous things over the porch rail as well!

Halloween Irish Chain and a lovely Christmas tree -

Autumn leaves and a disappearing nine-patch.

Sheep all the way up to the borders!

Bars, Stars & Florals!

Great job, ladies!

Here's the Two Sister's Choice tops together. (Free Patterns tab)

I headed out yearly yesterday morning (hence, no blog.) for the 3 hour drive up to Lexington, Virginia to meet up with my sweet niece Taylor who is going to college there.

The whole plan was to meet up for lunch (I hadn't seen her since she was maybe 11?) and then have her choose a quilt from the five I had brought with me.

It's so hard to judge a young lady's preferences by just "what is your favorite color?" alone.

Lunch was delightful.  We talked so much!

And then I brought her to where I hd parked my car so she could choose her quilt - She was really leaning toward Lazy Sunday until I brought out this one....

She chose Huka Falls!

New Zealand is somewhere she has always wanted to visit, so hopefully this plants the seed for her to go there in the future.  She is all about aqua/turquoise right now.

And something that really touched me.  She said "You know that baby quilt you made for me?" I think it was a Scrappy Trips.  "I have it here with me. It lives in my car. I use it for picnics and ball games and everything all the time."

It did my heart good!

This is why my baby quilts are huge. They last through a lifetime of growing.

And now she has this one to live with.  I'm a happy Auntie.

Okay...for those who like a deep dive because the blog is now 21 years old - Here is the post where I shared Taylor's quilt when she was born. It goes back that far!  This baby is now in COLLEGE!

Last night's feet up and stitching -

This quilt is being built in columns instead of in diagonal rows and I'm excited to be adding this motif onto the little column that is growing.

September's  Goose Feathers  pattern release is off to a grand start!

Last Day to Save: 

 I have placed Goose Feathers at 25% off in the Quiltville Store through TODAY 9/30/26. No coupon needed!

*NOTE* I am still in the midst of the website debacle and am having to create new links for items in the store. If you saved my old bookmarks, please update to the new one. You can also get to EVERYTHING by simply going to my main website at Quiltville.com. You can click the store link there.

Today we are welcoming Project Linus Metrolina to Quiltville Inn (from the Charolotte NC area) and they'll begin arriving around 4pm.

There are beds to make and things to do that did not get done yesterday as I was on my road trip to Lexington and back.

Time to get up and at it -

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

There's a brand new day opening up in front of you.

Are you choosing things that bring you closer to where you want to be a year from now?

Or are you just going with the flow?

No flow time for me today - have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone -